


We Will Be No Longer

by CaneofDirtyhands



Category: Red Dead Redemption (Video Games)
Genre: Angst, Death, Grief/Mourning, M/M, Oneshot, Pepehands, spoilers i guess, the vandermatthews is there if you squint up until the last line
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-29
Updated: 2020-07-29
Packaged: 2021-03-06 04:34:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 497
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25587574
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CaneofDirtyhands/pseuds/CaneofDirtyhands
Summary: He kneels there in front of Hosea’s grave for hours, a collection of statice flowers and white lilies clutched in his hand. He almost gives a humorless laugh at the irony at what had transpired. Hosea had been so excited—more excited than he had been for a long while—to pull off the bank robbery, and for once, Dutch had been the one doubting.
Relationships: Hosea Matthews/Dutch van der Linde
Comments: 3
Kudos: 19





	We Will Be No Longer

**Author's Note:**

> Ummmmm I haven’t seen Hosea’s death since my first playthrough of the game and I am currently avoiding the bank job like the plague, so I don’t remember exactly how it went (although twitter keeps on supplying gifs of poor Hosea stumbling to the ground).

There he was, well-dressed, slicked-back silver hair, curled up in a street in the middle of Saint Denis. A bullet in his chest, blood flowing continuously from the wound, painting his suit jacket red, along with the ground he lies upon.

Dutch had watched as Hosea stumbled to the ground, dying. Horror and red-hot anger flooded through his body. A fiery rage settled in the pit of his stomach as he took aim with his gun and began to shoot.

Hosea, the man he had been with for over twenty years; the man had helped taken care of Arthur; the silver-tongued bastard who could talk anyone into shooting their own foot; the man who was now lying on the ground, bleeding out and gasping for breath. 

Maybe he would live through it, Dutch thought. He would try to keep up his delusions up until he was back from Guarma, but he couldn’t believe him no longer once Abigail told him both Hosea and Lenny were buried. 

The final nail in the coffin was struck when he sat in front of the two graves, one marked with the name of his oldest friend, the other marked with the name of a kid who died too young.

It hit him all at once. 

He will never be able to see Hosea’s smile, his silver hair, his gorgeous brown eyes. He will never hear his dry humor, his happy chuckle, his wisdom. He will never again witness the charm Hosea had held ever since they first met, trying to steal from each other’s pockets. 

Hosea will never again attempt to teach little Jack how to read. Hosea will never be able to perform like he had loved to. Hosea will never get to live a peaceful life, even if it was only for a day. He will never die in a warm place, surrounded by his  family. 

They will never embrace again. They will never fight together again. They will never be together again.

He kneels there in front of Hosea’s grave for hours, a collection of statice flowers and white lilies clutched in his hand. He almost gives a humorless laugh at the irony at what had transpired. Hosea had been so excited—more excited than he had been for a long while—to pull off the bank robbery, and for once, Dutch had been the one doubting. 

Dutch didn’t think the man had been fully confident in their plan. His excitement had most likely come from the thought of finally being  _done_.  Hosea just wanted to be free. 

And just when they were about to be able to leave all of the robbing and the running behind them, he gets killed. 

“Old friend,” he starts, “there are so many things I regret.” 

He chokes, finally allowing himself to properly grieve the loss of his beloved Hosea. 

“But what I most regret is never telling you how much I love you. That is something I will never atone for.”

**Author's Note:**

> Statice- Fond memories/sympathy
> 
> White lilies- Purity/commitment/rebirth; rejuvenation of the soul


End file.
